Thomas j



(No Model.)

T J. SMITH.

FENCE MACHINE.

No. 378,378. Patented Feb. 21. 14888.

Wa'nesse e: Imre for:

siren drains reinar THOMAS J. SMITH, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONEIIALE TO GEORGE MERRILL, OF SAME PLACE.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,378, dated February 21, 1888.

Application tiled Octoberl, 1887. Serial No. 251.160. (Xo model.)

To @ZZ 'whom 'it may concern- Be it known that I, Tueurs J. Siurn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the count;v of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Iniprovements in Fence-Machines, of which the following is aspecilication, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings,

This invention relates to new and useful iinprovements in fence-machines; and theinvention consists in the peculiar construction of the parts and their combination and arrangement, all as more fully hereinafter described and set forth.

In the drawings which accompany this speciiication,-Figure lis a perspective view showing my machine in operation uponawire and slat or picket fence. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section on a smaller scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the tension-clamp. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of one of the twisters. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal central section ofthe twister shown in IiiO. 4, and Fin". 6 is a detached elevation of the crankshaft.

A A show three pairs of t'enee-wi1es,which on one end (not shown) are secured in the usual manner to a post, and on the opposite end, toward which the operation of the machine proceeds, are passed through holes a in the tension-post B, which on the lower end is firmly secured to the ground and near the upper end is held in position by anchors--such as C-and theivires are kept at the required tension by means of tension-clamps D, one for each pair of fence-wires. One of these ten sion-clamps is shown in section in Fig. 3, and consists ol' two plates, c d, held together by the clampingloolt c, which is provided with one or more elastic Washers, j", and anut for tightening, all so arranged that by tightening the nut g each pair of Wires A A is rmly clamped between the plates c di with any desired tension, which permits the Wires to draw through the clamps without losing theirv tension.

The fence-machine consists of the rotary twisters E-one foreach set of Wires-and each of these tu'istcrs is provided upon opposite ends with bearings 7i, by means of which the tivisters are journaled in the frame F of the machine. The frame F is of shorter length than usuailyprovided in this class of machines,

as I do not intend to support it upon the ground, but support it upon the fence-Wires, as I am enabled by its peculiar operation to dispense With the supporting of the frame in this Way, as hereinafter Will more fully appear.

G is a crankshaft journaled in the upper portion of the i'rame parallel to the twisters, and this crank-shaft is provided upon its outer end with a suitable crank, H, forturning it by hand.

I is a rope, the ends of which are adj asta-bly secured to the crank-shaft G in any suitable manner-such as shown, for instance, in Fig. 6, where the ends of the rope are passed through holesin the shaftand are held therein from slipping out by set-screws. This rope is Wound around all the twisters in the same direc-tion, so as to convey like motion to all of them; but the ends before being fastened to the crank-shaft pass around the same in opposite directions, there being a sucient number of coils formed upon the twisters and the crankshaft to permit asniiticient number of rotations in one direction or another to be given to the twisters to form the necessary twist in the Wires between the pickets or slats.

J is a handle by means of which the device may be convenientbr drawn along the Wires. K is a gage adjustably secured on the top of the machine, by means of the slot l and setscrew Y?, to form a gage for the top of the pickets, and L is a movable support provided with suitable notches, t, through which the Wires pass; and the object of this support is to hold the wires at the necessary height above the ground against the action of the weight of the machine, which necessarily would other- Wise draw them out ofline.

The twisters E are provided with the usual wire-passages, 7c, which are preferably formed by means of metallic tubes secured inthe twist# ers, and these tubes are of sufficient size in cross-section to permit splices in the Wire to pass through, and also of adjusting the Wires closer together or farther apart by means of the spreader-bars Z, which are secured near the month of the tubes and are exchangeable, so that shorter or longer spreader-bars may be used, according to the desired distance apart of the wires, for thicker or thinner slats.

In practice the fence-Wires A A are first ,se-

cured in position i'or a whole length ot' fence in the usual manner, one end ot' said fencewire being secured to a fixed post, and, with the wires passing through the twisting-spools E, the other end is secured to the tension-post. After the wires are stretched and the clamps D sufticiently tightened to prevent the wires from becoming slack, the work ot1 twisting in the slats or pickets is proceeded with in the usual manner; but the operation of the machine is different in many respects from the machines in present use.

For the convenience ofthe operator the crank H isjournaled more or less to one side ot' the central line.

By attaching the ends of the rope I adjustably to the crank-shaft G, or to one of the twisters, means are furnished to tighten the rope, and also to increase or decrease the number of coils of the rope on the shaft G, in order to lengthen or shorten the distance between the pickets in weaving.

To regulate the distance between the two wires of each set, the spreader-bars lare removably secured to the ends of the twisters, so as to permit of their being readily exchanged.

In using` the guidepost L, which supports the wires from the ground in close proximity I to the machine, the wires are kept-in position against the action of the weightof the machine.

vVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a wire-fence machine, the combination ot' the frame F, the twisters E, journaled therein, the actuating crank-shaft G, and the rope I, arranged to form aseries of coils around said crankshaft and twisters and having its ends secured to said crank-shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a wire-fence machine, the twisters E, provided with the enlarged wire-passages 7c, and the spreader-barst, removably secured upon the ends of the twisters between the wirepassages, substantially as described.

3. The wire-fence machine described, consisting of the frame F, the twisters E, journaled in said frame, the crankshaft G, journaled in said frame parallel with the twisters to one side ofthe central line, the crank H, the rope I, wound around all of said twisters and arranged to impart a limited rotary motion to the twisters and having its ends adjustably'secured to the crank-shaft G, the handle J, and the Slat-guide K, all arranged substantially as described. y

In testimony whereof I aix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 5th day of Septomber, 1887.

THOMAS J. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JAS. VHITTEMORE, l?. M. HULBERT. 

